JOAB

Courage you mighty men of Israel, And charge your fatal instruments of war Upon the bosoms of proud Ammon's sons, That have disguised your Kings Ambassadors, Cut half their beards, and half their garments off, In spite of Israel, and his daughters sons, You fight the holy battles of Jehovah, King David's God, and ours and Jacob's God That guides your weapons to their conquering strokes, Order your footsteps, and directs your thoughts To stratagems that harbour victory: He casts his sacred eyesight from on high, And sees your foes run seeking for their death's, Laughing their labours and their Hope's to scorn, While betwixt your bodies, and their blunted swords, He puts on armour of his honours proof, And makes their weapons wound the senseless winds. Well hath Uria's counseled our attempts, And as he spoke us, so assault the Tower, Let Hanon now the king of Ammon's son, Repulse our conquering passage if he dare. Hanon, thy father Nahas gave relief To holy David in his hapless exile, Lived his fixed date, and died in peace: But thou in steed of reaping his reward, Hast trod it underfoot, and scorned our King, Therefore thy days shall end with violence, And to our swords thy vital blood shall cleave. Assault you valiant men of David's host, And Beatrice these railing dastards from their doors. Thus have we wone the Tower, which we will keep, Maugre the sons of Ammon, and of Syria. Here is lord Joab, leader of the host. Cusay come up, for we have wone the hold. He comes. What news then brings lord Cusay from the king. Here take him with thee then, and go in peace, And tell my lord the King that I have fought Against the city Rabath with success, And scaled where the royal palace is, The conduit heads and all their sweetest springs, Then let him come in person to these walls, With all the soldiers he can bring beside, And take the city as his own exploit, Least I surprise it, and the people give The glory of the conquest to my name. Earewell Uria's, hast away the King. Let us Abisay, and you sons of Juda, Be valiant, and maintain your victory. Exeunt. And see where Hannon shows him on the walls, Why then do we forbear to give assault, That Israel may as it is promised, Subdue the daughters of the Gentiles Tribes, All this must be performed by David's hand. Hannon, the God of Israel hath said, David the King shall wear that crown of thine, That weighs a Talon of the finest gold, And triumph in the spoil of Hannons town, When Israel shall hale thy people hence, And turn them to the tile-kill, man and child, And put them under harrows made of iron, And hew their bones with axes, and their limbs With iron swords divide and tear in twain. Hannon, this shall be done to thee and thine, Because thou hast defied Israel. To arms, to arms, that Rabba feel revenge, And Hannons town become king David's spoil. Beauteous and bright is he among the Tribes, As when the sun attired in glistering robe, Comes dancing from his oriental gate, And bride groom-like hurls through the gloomy air His radiant beams, such does King David show, Crowned with the honour of his enemies town, Shining in riches Like the firmament, The starry vault that overhangs the earth, So looks David King of Israel. Joab my lord did bid this woman speak, And she hath said, and thou hast understood. Now God be blessed for King David's life, Thy servant Joab hath found grace with thee, In that thou sparest Absolon thy child, A beautiful and fair young man is he, In all his body is no blemish seen, His hair is Like the wire of David's Harp, That twines about his bright and ivory neck: In Israel is not such a goodly man, And here I bring him to entreat for grace. What is it piety in David's thoughts, So to abhor from laws of policy In this extremity of his distress, To give his subjects cause of carelessness, Send hence the dog with sorrow to his graven. Then tell us how thou wilt divide thy men, And who shall have the special charge herein. Why slewest thou not the wicked Absalon, That rebel to his father and to heaven, That so I might have given thee for thy pains Ten silver sickles, and a golden wast. I must not now stand trifling here with thee. Rebel to nature, hate to heaven and earth, Shall I give help to him, that thirsts the soul Of his deer father, and my sovereign lord? Now see the Lord hath tangled in a tree The health and glory of thy stubborn heart, And made thy pride curbed with a senseless plant, Now Absalon how does the Lord regard The beauty whereupon thy hope was built, And which thou thoughtest his grace did glory in? Findest thou not now with fear of instant death, That God affects not any painted shape, Or goodly personage, when the virtuous soul Is stuffed with nought but pride and stubbornness? But preach I to thee, while I should revenge Thy cursed sin that stains Israel, And makes her fields blush with her children's blood? Take that as partly of thy deserved plague, Which worthily no torment can inflict. If he were so remorseful of thy state, Why sent he me against thee with the sword? All Joab means to pleasure thee withal, Is to dispatch thee quickly of thy pain, Hold Absalon, Joab's pity is in this, In this proud Absalon is Joab's love. Well done tall soldiers take the Traitor down, And in this myery ditch inter his bones, Covering his hateful breast with heaps of stones, This shady thicket of dark Ephrami Shall ever lower on his cursed graven. Night Ravens and Owls shall ring his fatal knell, And fit exclaiming on his damned soul, There shall they heap their preys of Carrion, Till all his graven be clad with stinking bones That it may loath the sense of every man, So shall his end breed horror to his name, And to his traitorous fact eternal shame. Exit. O dreadful president of his joust doom, Whose holy heart is never touched with ruth Of fickle beauty, or of glorious shapes, But with the virtue of and upright soul, Humble and zealous in his inward thoughts, Though in his person loathsome and deformed. Now since this story lends us other store, To make a third discourse of David's life, Adding thereto his most renowned death, And all their death's, that at his death he judged, Here end we this, and what here wants to please, We will supply with Triple willingness. Soldiers of Israel, and you sons of Juda, That have contended in these irksome broils, And ripped old Israel's bowels with your swords: The godless general of your stubborn arms Is brought by Israel's helper to the graven: A graven of shame, and scorn of all the Tribes, Now then to save your honours from the dust, And keep your bloods in temper by your bones, Let Joab's ensign shroud your manly heads, Direct your eyes, your weapons, and your hearts To guard the life of David from his foes. Error hath masked your much too forward minds, And you have sind against the chosen state, Against his life, for whom your lives are blessed, And followed and usurper to the field, In whose joust death your death's are threatened, But Joab pities your disordered souls, And therefore offers pardon, peace, and love, To all that will be friendly reconciled To Israel's weal, to David, and to heaven. Amasa, thou art leader of the host, That under Absalon have raised their arms Then be a captain wise and politic, Careful and loving for thy soldiers lives, And led them to this honourable league. Stand up and take you all your swords again, David and Joab shall be blessed herein. Another time Ahimaas, not now, But Cusay go thy self, and tell the King The happy message of our good success. What news hast thou to bring since he is gone? Run if thou wilt, and peace be with thy steps, Now follow, that you may salute the King With humble hearts and reconciled souls. Why lies the Queen so prostrate on the ground? Why is this company so Tragic hewed? Why is the King now absent from his men? And marches not in triumph through the gates? David awake, if sleep have shut thine eyes, Sleep of affection, that thou canst not see The honour offered to the victor's head, Joab brings conquest pierced on his spear, And joy from all the Tribes of Israel. What? irks it David, that he victor breathes, That Juda and the fields of Israel, Should cleanse their faces from their children's blood? What art thou weary of thy royal rule? Is Israel's throne a Serpent in thine eyes, And he that set thee there, so far from thanks, That thou must curse his servant for his sake? Hast thou not said, that as the morning light, The cloudless morning, so should be thine house, And not as flowers by the brightest rain, Which grows up quickly, and as quickly fades? Hast thou not said, the wicked are as thorns, That cannot be preserved with the hand, And that the man shall touch them, must be armed With coats of iron, and garments made of steel, Or with the shaft of a defenced spear? And art thou angry he is now cut off, That led the guiltless swarming to their death's, And was more wicked then and host of men? Advance thee from thy melancholy den, And deck thy body with thy blissful robes, Or by the Lord that sways the heaven, I swear, I'll led thine armies to another King, Shall cheer them for their princely chivalry, And not fit daunted, frowning in the dark, When his fair looks, with Oil and Wine refreshed, Should dart into their bosoms gladsome beams, And fill their stomachs with triumphant feasts, That when elsewhere stern war shall found his trump, And call another battle to the field, Fame still may bring thy valiant soldiers home, And for their service happily confess She wanted worthy trumps to found their prowess, Take thou this course and live, refuse, and die. Bravely resolved and spoken Like a King, Now may old Israel, and his daughters sing. Exeunt.